


three little lessons

by pavonine



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers Generation One
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 03:32:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1114978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pavonine/pseuds/pavonine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a training room in Kaon, Megatron teaches Starscream three valuable lessons every fighter needs to know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	three little lessons

"It smells _disgusting_ in here," Starscream said.

Walking three paces in front of him, Starscream heard Megatron let out a derisive snort, and braced himself for a bristling reply— _were you expecting incense and perfume,_ or _forgive us for not freshening up, we don't get visitors very often_. When nothing came, and Megatron pushed open the heavy door leading to the training room without a word, Starscream scowled and tried again.

"Hasn't anyone in here heard of _cleanser?_ " he asked loudly, earning a few deserved glares from other mechs in the room. "I'm sure you're all paid enough credits to afford even a small— _mmf_!"

Megatron leaned in close, vents ghosting warm against Starscream's audial. "If you're done _nettling_ me about personal hygiene," he breathed, "we may begin."

Starscream snarled against Megatron's huge, rough palm, and his optics flickered once, threatening danger. He said nothing, though, and after a lingering moment, Megatron's hand withdrew.

He stepped back five paces and stood, watching Starscream with the kind of uncomfortable intensity the Seeker could never adjust to. Starscream fidgeted, shifting his weight from one pede to another. Other mechs in the room were casting them discreet glances, hidden under heavy optic ridges, pretending to be absorbed with—whatever they were doing, really. Lifting weights, wrestling with other, equally offensive-looking mechs. Starscream's focus drifted to one in particular, wiry-framed and painted a dirty crimson, locked in battle with a mech the size of a small boulder. The wiry mech sidestepped the bulky one's charge, and fast as lightning wrapped his arms around the other's thick neck—

And Starscream's intake spluttered when Megatron yanked him to his chest, a huge arm crushing his intake, the fusion cannon alive and humming in his audial. Squawking madly, Starscream thrashed, and Megatron pinned his arms to his sides.

"Lesson the first," Megatron said, lowering his lips to Starscream's audial again. "Never take your eyes off your opponent."

"Will—you—let _go_ of me, you—"

Megatron released him immediately, and Starscream sprung forward, panting and hacking, a servo flying up to his bruised intake. Megatron chuckled behind him, and Starscream whirled around—and ended up flat on his back, wings fluttering madly against the dusty floor.

Megatron's dentae were bared in a grin. "In battle," he said, "distraction is the real enemy."

"More like _cheating_ ," Starscream snarled, optics narrowing. "You brute, I was _completely_ unprepared—"

"Either way." Megatron's massive servos slid up Starscream's arms to pin him by his wrists, fingers wrapping one by one against delicate metal. His knee struts weighed heavy against Starscream's thighs, pushing them open, far too open for Starscream's liking. Especially in here. With everyone staring at them. Smirking, behind their hands, watching Megatron dominate the airheaded, know-nothing Seeker like it was nothing, like anyone could do it, like it was so _easy_ for him—

 _Know-nothing indeed,_ hmph. _I'll show_ him _distraction._ Starscream went limp underneath Megatron, lying loose and strutless, wings stilling to a relaxed slump. Megatron's optics narrowed, and the pressure on Starscream's wrists eased the slightest fraction.

Starscream ripped his wrists out from under him and pounced, drawing his legs up and kicking at Megatron's thick midsection. He sprang up with a grin, fluttering his wings in victory when Megatron grunted and doubled over. Megatron exvented once, twice, then glared heavily from beneath his optic ridges up at the triumphant Seeker.

Starscream's smile bled into a smirk—and oddly, so did Megatron's. Starscream's wings stilled.  

"What's so funny?" he asked. Megatron stood, still smiling in that _infuriating_ way of his—optics closed and the corners of his lips drawn sharply up. "Megatron!"

"Nothing, Starscream. Lesson the second." And Megatron snapped Starscream to his chassis once again. "Expect the unexpected."

"Expect the unexpected?" Starscream repeated, struggling. He tried to kick at Megatron's shins and Megatron stamped on his pedes. Starscream yowled his displeasure right into Megatron's audial.

"The _unexpected_ ," Megatron said, like Starscream hadn't shorted out his audio system. He ground the heel of his pede into the top of Starscream's, scraping off paint with a thin, drawn-out shriek. "Your enemy can and will do _everything_ to win. Never underestimate them, not even for a _klik_."

Megatron stared directly into Starscream's optics as he spoke, hands tightening around his arm, hard enough to dent the metal. Starscream hissed, and spat into Megatron's face. Clear lubricant tracked a wet trail down the side of his scarred cheekplate. Megatron blinked once, expressionless.  

Then he flung Starscream down, smashing the right wing hard into the dirt. The sharp crack rattled in Starscream's processor and almost drowned out the sudden shock of pain that burst like a supernova in his wing. It was dented, bent in half, and he barely registered the fact before Megatron tackled the rest of him, snarling low and heavy, a thick hand against Starscream's upturned throat.

"The _unexpected_ , Megatron," Starscream panted, turning his faceplate to Megatron's. The tips of their noses brushed. "Remember?"

Unreadable emotion flashed behind Megatron's optics.

"Or has the student _already_ become the master?" he went on, in a raspy, rough-edged drawl. Starscream's knee drew against the inside of Megatron's heavy thigh, and he parted his lips, venting softly, optics locked with Megatron's.

 _Never take your eyes off your opponent. Expect the unexpected._ Starscream's fans clicked on with a soft, unmistakable whirr. In the heat of battle, it could be written off as exertion.

If you were very close by, you could hear how fast Starscream's spark whirled in his chamber—how sharp and high his vents were.

Megatron lowered his frame, close enough that the heat of his plating scorched Starscream's own, tortured metal. His hand against Starscream's intake relaxed, and he drew a thumb softly against an exposed cable, feeling every pulse of energon ripple through the line. Starscream moaned, a quiet, expectant _oh_ , and tilted his hips off the floor.

"Lesson," Megatron said, "the third."

He flipped Starscream over and pinned his hands behind his back.

"Never give up," he said officiously, all but sitting on Starscream's backstrut while Starscream screeched and flailed beneath him. "Not once. Not _ever_. Not even when you are at death's door and Primus himself stretches out his hand to take you personally to the Well. Never, _ever_ surrender."

"What about when your opponent is a _massive slagheap_ of a mech who _won't get his aft_ off _of you?!_ "

Megatron chuckled. "Especially not then," he said, with what sounded disgustingly like _cheer_ in his voice, and stood kliks before Starscream bucked him off. Starscream righted himself and scowled, leveling a furious glare at Megatron—and then at the rest of the mechs in the room, who turned away quickly, still snickering behind their hands.

Starscream snorted, crossing his arms and returning to Megatron. To his surprise, Megatron brushed past him, heading for the exit.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" Starscream snapped.

"The session is over, Starscream." Megatron refused to look back.

"Over?" Starscream shouted. He caught up with Megatron in four long strides, wincing when the speed pulled at his dented wing. Most of his frame ached and throbbed, and Megatron had the _gall_ to leave him here all alone, critically injured and in a strange training room in Kaon—"Megatron, look at me!"

Megatron stopped. He turned around. He looked Starscream up and down.

"Your wing may need medical attention," he said simply. "See to it, will you."

Starscream's mouth worked itself into an offended little scowl—and he snarled, and pounced on Megatron, pinning him to the ground mere steps away from the door.

Megatron blinked up at Starscream in surprise, and Starscream bent down, leaning into Megatron's audial. " _Never give up_ , O mighty Megatron," he said in a whisper.

Megatron's lips drew into a long, hungry sort of smile.

\--

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